Stacey Nickerson, who helped Illinois Central College to third place in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament earlier this year, will be continuing her education and basketball career at Illinois State.
Nickerson, a 6-foot former Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Stater at Washington High School, averaged 16.5 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior at Washington in 1998-99. Her two varsity seasons at Washington produced a combined 43-16 record. The two-time All-Mid-Illini Conference selection set the school's single-season rebounding record with 304 as a senior.
Nickerson impressed Illinois State coach Jenny Yopp with her dedication and versatility.
"She has a gym-rat mentality and is driven to succeed," said Yopp. "At six feet tall, Stacey has worked extremely hard to develop her perimeter game. Her versatility as a player allows her to contribute both on the perimeter and in the post. She is strong and her scoring ability will help our program."
Nickerson, who has three remaining years of eligibility, joins fellow recruits Jaci McCormack of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Stacey White of West Lebanon, Ind., DJ Flournoy of Chicago George Washington, Taren O'Brien from Savannah, Mo., and Beth Huston of Port Washington, Wis.
Yopp's recruiting class, the rehabilitation of Steph Reichle's injured knee, plus the addition of redshirt freshmen LaShanda Morris and Sharon Blade, give Yopp nine players she didn't have at the end of last season, when depth became a problem because of injuries.
"The opportunity to locate and sign Stacey is serendipitous," said Yopp. "We have finalized our scholarship roster with the addition of six signees and two redshirt freshmen, which will result in eight new players in Redbird uniform this fall. Combined with our seven experienced, returning players, our 2000-2001 group is solid in depth and versatility."
1999-2000 ILLINOIS STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
SPRING/SUMMER, 2000: Jaci McCormack, 5-10, G, Lake Oswego, Oregon (Lake Oswego H.S.)
Stacey Nickerson, 6-0, F, Washington, Ill. (Washington H.S./Illinois Central College)
Stacey White, 5-11, F, West Lebanon, Ind. (Seeger H.S.)
FALL, 1999: Dejeanette "DJ" Flournoy, 6-1, F, Chicago, Ill. (George Washington H.S.)
Beth Huston, 5-8, G, Port Washington, Wis. (Port Washington H.S.)
Taren O'Brien, 5-7, G, Savannah, Mo. (Savannah H.S.)
STACEY NICKERSON, 6-0, F
Washington H.S., Washington, Ill. (Illinois Central College)
NICKERSON NOTES: Part-time starter on 1999-2000 Illinois Central College team which finished third at NJCAA Tournament ... former IBCA All-Stater who played in the IBCA All-Star game in 1999 ... averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds as a senior, 9 points and 9 rebounds as a junior at Washington HS, where she was a post player ... two-time all-conference, two-time all-area ... captain and team MVP as a senior ... has 3 years of remaining eligibility ... plans to major in psychology ... prep coach was Randy Marchand ... junior college coach was Lorene Ramsey, an Illinois State Athletics Hall of Famer ... daughter of Robert (deceased) and Mary Nickerson, with sister Elizabeth ... full name is Stacey Anne Nickerson, born 1-15-81.
QUOTING STACEY: "Illinois State is giving me the opportunity to play Division I basketball I always wanted. I played in Redbird Arena in a high school tournament and the opportunity to play my college home games there is exciting. I was particularly impressed with the coaching staff and players at Illinois State. They are nice people and they are dedicated to winning."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON STACEY NICKERSON:
"Stacey brings an outstanding work ethic, maturity and level of intensity to our program. She has a gym-rat mentality and is driven to succeed. At six feet tall, Stacey has worked tremendously hard to develop her perimeter game. Her versatility as a player allows her to contribute both on the perimeter and in the post. Stacey is a strong player and her scoring will help our program."
JACI McCORMACK, 5-10, G
Lake Oswego H.S., Lake Oswego, Oregon
McCORMACK NOTES: All-stater at Lake Oswego High School near Portland, Oregon as a senior, averaging 14.0 points, 7.9 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals while shooting 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc ... before moving to Oregon, she was the 1998 Idaho Player of the Year at Lapwai High School, where her team was an undefeated (26-0) state champion ... played volleyball two years and softball one year at Lapwai, where her softball coach was her cousin, Angel McCormack ... prep coach at Lake Oswego was Gary Lavendar, at Lapwai Bill Picard and Shawn Spencer ... daughter of Joseph and Margaret McCormack, with sisters Grett and Ada, and brother Pete ... she lived with her aunt and uncle, Jack & Ada McCormack, and Palmer Smith, a cousin, in Oregon ... full name is Jaci Sarah McCormack, born 2-28-82 ... first name pronounced JACK-e ...
QUOTING JACI: "Coach Yopp knew me from (when Yopp coached at) Portland State. When she went to Illinois State, I didn't know if she still would recruit me, but I'm glad she did. I felt very comfortable during my visit to Illinois State. I was impressed with the positive attitude of the players and coaches. The support for the team, athletically and academically, is excellent. Redbird Arena just amazed me--it's a great place to play."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON JACI McCORMACK:
"I have followed Jaci's progress over the past two seasons and am very excited about what she brings to our basketball program. She can play all three perimeter positions, but will be used primarily at the shooting guard and point guard positions. Jaci has a true jump shot off the dribble, but can hit the long-range three-pointer as well. Her greatest love of the game, however, is distributing the ball to her teammates and rebounding. I appreciate Jaci's commitment to come such a long distance for her college career."
STACEY WHITE, 5-11, F
Seeger H.S., West Lebanon, Ind.
WHITE NOTES: lst team all-state by Hoosier Magazine ... our-time all-conference and all bi-county Danville Commercial-News 2000 Player of the Year ... averaged 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a senior, shooting 48 percent from the field, 71 percent from the free throw line and 37 percent from 3-point range ... a four-year prep starter in basketball, volleyball and softball (her mom, Jennie, was her prep softball coach) ... her basketball teams were a combined 60-25, reaching semi-state her senior year ... her career averages were 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.5 assists ... led the state in hitting as a softball shortstop in 1999 ... prep coach: Brent Rademacher ... daughter of Kevin and Jennie White, with sisters Stephanie White-McCarty (former Purdue all-America and 1999 national player of the year) and Shanda ... Stacey Jane White, born 5-26-82.
QUOTING STACEY: "Illinois State is what I was looking for. The coaches and players are dedicated to the program. They are very positive and very energetic. The campus is beautiful and elementary education, what I'm planning to study, is very big there. Redbird Arena is a great place to play. Something clicked when I visited. It just clicked."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON STACEY WHITE:
"Stacey White will bring a well-rounded offensive punch to our tam. Stacey can score from all positions on the floor, particularly from 3-point range. At 5-11 and strong athletically, Stacey also has a great mind for the game, with versatility, vision and team attitude to keep all of her teammates involved. Stacey will add depth to our perimeter and complement our returning small forwards.
DJ FLOURNOY, 6-1, F
George Washington H.S., Chicago, Ill.
FLOURNOY NOTES: Signed in Fall, 1999 ... All-City and all-area choice helped Washington finish second at the IHSA Class AA State Finals at Redbird Arena ... played in City of Chicago All-Star Game ... averaged 9.8 points, a team-best 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a senior ... her 20-point, 16-rebound effort helped Washington knock-out perennial favorite Marshall for the 2000 City Championship ... averaged 10.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots as a junior, 8.2 points and 10.6 rebounds as a sophomore ... earned all-conference as a junior ... averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds for AAU F.E.B.A. Superfriends AAU team which finished 7th at AAU nationals and was MVP of under-19 world youth tourney ... finished No. 3 in city cross country meet as a freshman ... voted most improved player on tennis team as a freshman ... three-year academic honor roll member, with perfect attendance for 1 1/2 years ... prep coach Willie Byrd ... daughter of Gwendolyn Flournoy, with brothers Rickey and Shagma ... Dejeanette Mignon Flournoy, born 11-13-81 ... name pronounced d-JUH-net FLOOR-noy.
QUOTING DJ: "The attitude of the Coach Yopp and the coaching staff impressed me. They care about the players in the classroom and on the court. The players are supportive of each other and are focused on winning as well as making themselves better. The academic support and community support of the program are really outstanding. I know I will have to work to improve my game, and I feel I can do that at Illinois State."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON DJ FLOURNOY
"DJ impressed our coaching staff with her physical strength, leaping ability and work ethic on the court. Once we began to know her as a person, we were even more impressed with her passion for success, humble attitude and determination to improve. DJ has the potential to become a force in our system."
BETH HUSTON, 5-8, G,
Port Washington H.S., Port Washington, Wis.
HUSTON NOTES: Signed in Fall, 1999 ... Honorable mention Street and Smith's All-American ... 2000 lst team all-state and county player of the year, averaging 21.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.4 steals ... 1999 conference player of the year, averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.5 steals while leading team to school-record 21 wins (21-3) ... three-time lst team all-conference ... honorable mention all-state as a junior ... career 16.2 points per game (1,555 points), 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 4.0 steals ... owns school career records for 3-pointers made (165) and attempted (566), assists (244) and steals (379) ... owns school season records for points (530), steals (111), assists (116) and 3-pointers (58) ... all-conference volleyball player (team MVP) and softball player ... member of National Honor Society and high honor roll ... plans to major in business ... prep coach Dave Ross ... daughter of Kathleen Huston, with twin brother Brandon, brother Ben and sister Bridget ... Bethany Louise Houston, born 1-13-92.
QUOTING BETH: "Just driving into the parking lot of Redbird Arena made me know Illinois State is where I want to be. The new business school (currently under construction) fits in perfectly with my major. When I visited, the players were so optimistic about the future that it impressed me. Their dedication impressed me because I'm a gym rat. I remember Coach Yopp calling me from Portland while she was packing her things to move to Illinois State. Once she told me what she wanted to do and where she wanted the Illinois State program to go, I pretty much knew that Illinois State is where I wanted to be."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON BETH HUSTON
"Beth is a versatile guard who will add immediate depth to our point guard and wing positions. She is physically strong and has a great mentality for the game. Beth's game is best described as unselfish, aggressive and gutsy. She is a mature young lady with a great head on her shoulders."
TAREN O'BRIEN, 5-7, G,
Savannah H.S., Savannah, Mo.
O'BRIEN NOTES: Signed in Fall, 1999 ... one of 30 finalists nationally for 1999 Teen Magazine Athlete of the Year ... 3-time all-state point guard ... led team to runner-up in class 3A state tournament in 1998, 1999 and 2000 with a three-year record of 76-14 ... as a senior, she averaged 16.4 points per game with a school-record 493 points ... school career record holder for points (1,648), assists (452) and steals (482) ... she also holds game (10) and season (128) assist records and season (140) steal record ... 3-time all-area and all-district ... outstanding tennis player with 39-9 record for first three prep seasons, placing No. 4 in state in doubles ... majoring in education ... National Honor Society, high honor roll ... prep coaches Kevin Kelley (junior and senior) and Brad Oyler (freshman and sophomore) ... daughter of Tom and Cindy O'Brien, both educators, with sister Jaime, who played tennis at Missouri Western ... her father has coached basketball, football, track and cross country; played baseball at Missouri Western ... Taren Leigh O'Brien, born 5-31-82 ... first name rhymes with "Karen."
QUOTING TAREN: "I felt comfortable going there. The coaches and players made me feel at home. Coach Yopp has a lot of confidence and I think her players will learn that from her. The thing that made me realize I wanted to be at Illinois State was when I heard Coach Yopp's goals and dreams for Illinois State basketball. Those are things that I want to experience. People at Illinois State are friendly. That is important to me."
COACH JENNY YOPP ON TAREN O'BRIEN
"Finding a true point guard who has the ability to help our team early in her career was a top priority in finding Taren. Her potential knocked our socks off back in the early summer. She can take good care of the basketball, score in various ways and loves defense. Taren is a tenacious competitor who will dive after every loose ball and make tremendous sacrifice to help her team earn success. A quality individual and student, Taren will only accept the best effort from herself and those around her."
